By Danny Karmin – Cronkite NewsSCOTTSDALE – For 21 grueling hockey seasons, Shane Doan put his body through the rigor. Every game he was checking against the boards, flying through the air, colliding on the ice. Doan, the Arizona Coyotes’ all-time franchise leading scorer, represented his team with class and grit while playing one of the world’s toughest sports.
Doan, born in Alberta, Canada, grew up in a horse-friendly environment. Before his interest in hockey, Doan’s main passion was riding horses with his friends and family. He even had his own pony named ‘Beauty.’ For comparison, a bulldog or team roper is far less physically demanding than what is used at the Calgary Stampede.So far, Doan does not look like a polo rookie. Since beginning training in September, he has received rave reviews from his trainers and teammates in advance of his debut next month.
“It’s very similar to hockey with a lot of anticipation and the idea of following each other,” Doan said. “Where in hockey, we’re harped on to stop on the puck, and in polo you’re not allowed to as you have to keep moving. Like, if I stop, the opponent would be able to claim that I’m blocking them. So I have to keep moving, which is a different mindset. So those are the things that I’m learning.”
As an athlete and as a person, Doan fits all of these traits. As a past captain of an NHL team, Doan embodied respect and commitment to his teammates.